AL activist killed in Faridpur over UP polls

Faridpur – An Awami League activist was hacked to death in a clash between supporters of the AL and BNP-backed chairman candidates in Bagat union of Madhukhali upazila on Saturday night over the union parishad election, billed for May 7.
The deceased was identified as Atiar Rahman, 45, an AL activist and brother of AL candidate Matiar Rahman.
Ruhul Amin, officer-in-charge of Madhukhali police station, said supporters of the AL candidate locked into an altercation with the supporters of the BNP candidate while they were returning from an election campaign in front of the AL aspirant’s election camp in Roy Jadapur area of the union around 9:30pm.
Over the issue, the BNP men attacked an AL office in Bagat union around 10.30pm, triggering a fierce clash which left seven people, including Atiar, injured.
The injured were rushed to the upazila health complex where doctors declared Atiar dead.
Outraged by the incident, the AL candidate’s supporters blocked the Dhaka-Khulna highway from 11pm to 12:30am and staged a demonstration.
Later police removed them from the highway and brought the situation under control.